Getting your blood sugar levels right

Eat more frequently to lose weight and have bags of energy, says our nutritionist Lorraine Perretta.

Many people believe that eating snacks will cause them to gain weight but in reality the opposite is true. It’s what you snack on that counts. Food contains a variety of nutrients that play specific roles in the body. For example protein foods like meat, fish, eggs and dairy products help the body to make strong muscles and smart brains. Fats (contrary to popular belief is not an ‘F’ word) are essential in small amounts and specific types, e.g. those fats found in nuts, seeds and oily fish like salmon and sardines.

Now here comes the tricky bit, carbohydrates. Carbohydrate foods provide the body with energy; energy to power muscles and the brain. Carbohydrates are found in starchy foods like bread, pasta, potatoes and rice as well as fruits and vegetables. These foods break down into glucose which is a fancy name for sugar. And it’s the sugar that provides the energy for the body.

The trick to having bags of energy and a slim figure is to eat the right amounts of protein, fats and carbohydrates – AND the right kind of carbohydrates. Some carbs like rice, bread, potatoes and pasta convert to sugar very quickly, hence they’re called fast releasing carbohydrates. While fruit and vegetables are slow releasing. The body likes the amount of glucose in the blood to be very constant; it doesn’t like it when sugar levels are too high or too low. So when carbohydrates release sugar faster than the body can use it, there’s a big spike of sugar in the blood. The body in an attempt to reduce the blood sugar level, converts the sugar to fat (that’s right fat!) and then there’s too little sugar in the body resulting in a dip in energy, often experienced as mid morning and mid afternoon slumps, and a craving for sweets, sugar and stimulants.

So the best way to control weight and maintain even energy levels is to eat slow releasing carbohydrates like fruit and vegetables. Combine these foods with some protein and a small amount of the important fats at regular intervals during the day and sugar levels will remain constant and the body won’t feel the need to store the excess sugar as fat.